When setting yourself up to take a photo, how much attention do you pay to the framing and spacial awareness surrounding the subjects in focus? Truth be told, the composition of a shot can turn a photo from good, to a great one and beyond.

In this blog I will go through various composition techniques that can be used to help you upgrade your photography in an instant, and furthermore, I will be explaining why composition really matters.

Leading Lines

Starting off with leading lines, this is a compositional technique used to draw the viewers attention into a certain area of a photograph. This technique helps to create a sense of depth and purpose within the photo, furthermore adding an extra dynamic to a shot. Naturally, these lines usually start from the edge of the frame leading into the section of the photo which matters most. These lines can be straight, horizontal, vertical, diagonal and any which way possible, and the more you can incorporate into the shot to create a clear visual path the better.

Negative Space

When used correctly, negative space is a uniquely powerful technique that can change the whole mood and dynamic of a photograph. By using this technique, you are isolating the subject with dramatic effect, fulfilling the use of emptiness and blank space to tell a story through the use of its surroundings. In addition to this, by highlighting a subject in this way you help to create a sense of mystery and scale within the image, allowing breathing room between the foreground and background.

Symmetry

Time for double trouble. Symmetry is a powerful and optical technique used to create a sense of mystery and reflection. The focus and composition of this technique lays within the mirroring of one side of an image to the other, and in turn balancing each other out. The careful use of proportions is key to creating Symmetry, if incorporated well into an image it creates a feeling of harmony and balance to the photo. Used either vertically or horizontally, the midpoint of the frame often acts as the symmetry line and where the image begins to overlap.

Framing

The next composition technique is Framing. Framing can be used to create a sense of depth and emphasis, helping and drawing the viewer to the subject in focus. Essentially, by using a frame within the picture frame, you’re highlighting and showing the viewer what you really want to matter in the shot. Examples of things you could use as frames are doors, windows, trees, or even a mirror, the possibilities are endless when it comes to framing a subject. One important note to remember though is to make sure the focus is on the subject in the frame, and not the foreground framing.

Fill the Frame

Filling the Frame uses the technique of composing an image to the point of using all of if not most of the frame when taking a photo. In the complete opposite to the negative space technique, this technique uses positive space as its main focal point. By shooting and using the full frame of the image available, you’re immediately drawing the viewers attention to the subject in question. Examples of using this technique normally contains the use of a single subject up close and personal.

Rule of Thirds

Last but not least, we come to one of the most common, basic, but important techniques within the world of Photography, the Rule of Thirds. Typically, the rule of thirds acts as a term to splitting the image into a grid and three sections both horizontally and vertically, thus creating nine equal sections within the photo frame. If used and divided correctly, placing the key elements of the shot across the intersections will naturally create a more visually appealing image for the viewer. By dividing a photo into thirds, it can help to create a more balanced and well rounded image, thus more likely to draw the viewers eye.